Description and History of Site:-
Large site with two mills, both originally water powered and built for spinning cotton. The first, six storey mill, with the blacksmith's shop was insured in 1792 for £2,650 and the stock for £2,550. By 1796 the total insurance cover was for £12,000. Many of the workers were children brought from London who lived in an apprentice house which had a school-room.
In 1811 a new mill was added which had gas lighting provided by Boulton & Watt.
In 1848 when the two mills were for sale the old mill was five storeys and measured 105ft X 28ft 6" with a 16ft X 14ft wheel. The new mill, also five storeys measured 211ft X 34ft and had two wheels - 22ft X 18ft and 30ft X 18ft. There was also a weaving shed measuring 96ft X 64ft. The first mill was built by a partnership of Thomas Davison from Stockton-on-Tees, George Merryweather, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Jonas Whitaker from Leeds. Davison left the partnership soon after the mill was built and in 1810 Merryweather marched 190 of the apprentices to Manchester to work there. Lister Ellis and John Greenwood, experienced cotton spinners from Keighley, then joined the partnership with new capital and the new mill was built. Lister Ellis sold his share to William Ellis for £42,000 in 1812.
n 1850, Fison and Forster, partners who had started in business in Bradford, bought the Burley mills, and converted them to worsted production. The earliest mill was demolished and all new work was concentrated on the Greenholme site. Numbers employed grew to over 700.

2023 - being converted to residential.

Further Reading and References:-
Ingle, G. Yorkshire cotton. Carnegie, 1997.
Burley Local History Group web-site http://www.burley-in-wharfedale.org/history/00Intro/summary.html. Also illustrations.

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Key Words :- textile mill water cotton worsted spinning

Address :- Iron Row, Burley-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, LS29 7DB
Grid Ref :- SE 168 468
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.917076 , Long -1.745707
Local Authority :- City of Bradford
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site in alternative industrial use
Site Dates :- 1792 -
Record Date :- 11 November 2017

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © George Ingle